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Mexico selling geothermal power to Los Angeles, U.S.

Los Angeles, U.S. buying Mexican geothermal power to to meet 20% renewable portfolio requirements as required by California.

Reuters reports on the renewable energy efforts of Los Angeles in the U.S. With the goal of getting 20% of its power from renewable sources, the city “agreed in principal (last week) to purchase Mexican geothermal power”, as reported by Mexico’s state-owned power monopoly.

“Under the proposed agreement Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) would sell the city-owned Los Angeles Department of Water and Power approximately 100 MW of power from its 720 MW Cerro Prieto geothermal generating station. Final terms of the agreement are still being concluded.

Other California utilities have explored sourcing renewable power from Mexico as they strive to meet the state’s 20 percent renewable power standard. The standard takes effect in 2010.

A unit of Sempra Energy has proposed to construct a wind power project in northern Baja California that would generate between 150 and 175 MW of power. Construction of this project is expected to begin in 2010.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power serves 1.4 million customers and is the biggest municipal utility in the United States.”